Study Hub for CXC English A & B

In David Rubadiri's poem 'An African Thunderstorm' the poet presents the effects of a thunderstorm and the different reactions of human society to its coming. Setting: The events in the poem happen in a village in Africa. Stanzas 1 and 2: These stanzas focus on providing details about how nature is transformed as a consequence of the thunderstorm. It is clearly quite powerful and the poet uses several images to convey this. It is evident that the wind is forceful as it is described as moving the clouds wildly 'like a plague of locusts' and even moving things about 'like a madman chasing nothing'. Images likes these give a vivid idea about the uncontrollable or erratic nature of the storm. Stanza 3: In this stanza, the reader sees that the children, in all their innocence, are unfazed by the storm. It leaves them feeling quite excited as seen in the line ' screams of delighted children'. It is something they look forward to experiencing...

As you put together your English SBA together, bear the following in mind: 1. Have your written the plan of investigation? 2. Have you written the three (3) reflections? 3. Have the three pieces been included? 4. Have you written the group report? 5. Do the written tasks conform to the stipulated word limits? 6. Does your SBA have an oral presentation plan? 7. Have you completed your oral presentation? 8. Has the individual participation measure been filled in? 9. Have you worked hard to contribute to a good score for the indicators of group activity? 10. Do you have a table of contents? 11. Do you have a cover page? 12. Does your SBA have a reference section? 13. Have you numbered the pages? It is very important to track your progress as you work on completing your SBA so you don't miss any tasks. Study Hub for English A & B

ABOUT THE POET Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) had first hand experience with the the trauma associated with war. As a result, he wrote a number of poems based on his own experiences and those he witnessed. Owen would have suffered shell shock and eventually died on the battlefield of World War 1 at the young age of 25. THE POEM The poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' was one of the many poems he wrote to dispel the notion that sending soldiers to fight in a war was a glorious experience. He calls it an 'old lie' which is fed to soldiers to give them a sense of ease and encourage patriotism as they embrace the idea of sacrificing their lives for their country. The reality is quite different as many soldiers either die or are left physically and mentally damaged. Owen does not hold back in his presentation of the horrors of war. He employs graphic language to portray the discomfort, despair and death. By the end of the poem, readers are left reeling by the devastating real...

I hope the information that I have provided below on the poem will prove useful in helping you to understand it.  Poet:  Martin Carter(1927-1997) Historical Context:   This poem is based on events that took place in British Guiana during the 1950s when British troops were sent to restore order during the unrest that resulted after the calls from the people for self-governance. Their presence upon the land resulted in great resentment, resistance and devastation. Martin Carter was arrested for three months because he defied orders that had been enforced by the British government. The poem was written in response to these events. Setting:   British Guiana( a colony of England), 1950s Themes:  War, Oppression, Human Suffering, Patriotism, Power and Authority, Lack of Freedom Tone:   warning, melancholic, lamenting Key Vocabulary:   vulnerable, landscape, subjugation, militia, dominate, suppression, resistance, deprive, re...

STANZA 1: Ol’ Higue expresses her feelings of resentment for having to perform some very uncomfortable actions because of the appeal of baby’s blood. This stanza gives us details that are associated with the folklore about Ol’Higue. For example, the readers learn that Ol' Higue has to fly around at night without skin. She eventually burns out 'like cane fire'. She also alludes to other aspects of the superstition associated with her as she mentions having to count thousands of rice grains.  Note: In the folklore surrounding Ol' Higue, if one wants to catch her, one has to throw rice grains around the house. She is obligated to count all the rice grains. This leaves her open to being caught because she will find it difficult to count all the grains before dawn. STANZA 2: Here it is seen that she finds the smell of baby’s blood irresistible and explains that its appeal is due to the promise of life that it offers to an dying, old woman. Baby's blood i...

A multiple choice paper forms a part of the assessment for the CXC English A examination. It is valued at 21% of the total assessment and comprises of 60 items. The paper is divided into two sections. Section A:  It comprises of 25 discrete items based on synonyms, antonyms, grammar, spelling, construction shift, error recognition and equivalent sentences. Section B: It usually comprises of five stimuli that can be based on: a poem, a literary extract, one expository extract, one argumentative extract and one visual extract. What abilities are tested on Paper 1? According to the English A syllabus, you will be tested on your ability  to: - understand meaning conveyed through word choice grammar and syntax(word order), sentence structure, punctuation and paragraphing. - obtain information accurately - grasp insights from reading literature - recognise and evaluate information expressed in various forms. Now that you have been reminde...

This poem focuses on the wishes of a black boy. He is facing discrimination and he dreams that his quality of life would not be determined by the colour of his skin. He does not like the fact that he is prevented from realizing his dreams and expressing himself freely because of his race. He wishes for recognition from his teacher. He looks forward to being hugged (commended) when he kicks a goal. He also wishes that whenever he has the answer in class he does not hold back. He makes reference to the fact that he is not 'a wood chopper like all ancestors'. This means that he is not a slave and as such he should not be afraid to speak or assert himself. He further wishes for the opportunity to receive the best education and earn 'good money'. He does not want to degrade himself by doing demeaning things in order to receive favours. He uses the term 'licking boots' to highlight that he does not want to have to be subservient to people in order to get ahead...